Faith

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1.

This statement scares any scientific minded person out of their skin, myself included. But I take a very simple message from it — that faith is not science. Faith was never intended to be science. Let me say that again, and I’d like you to read it a little slower this time. Faith was never intended to be science. It’s worth repeating because it seems like our confusion over this issue (whether we’re scientists, people of faith, or both) is at the root of so much of the conflict that seems to arise between the two.

To me, after struggling with and pondering these issues for the last five or six years, the solution seems so simple. Faith is about who and why, while science is about how, when, what, and where. Searching for answers to faith questions in science or vice versa — asking science questions to faith is an exercise in futility.

How I read the Bible

Let me give you an example and very briefly share some of my philosophy on reading the Bible. I am strongly of the opinion that the Bible does not hold the answer for everything. For example, if you’re interested in the American revolution of 1776, the Bible is a very poor source. To me, this certainly doesn’t diminish the value or importance of the Bible. It just means that I might want to look elsewhere if I want to learn about George Washington. Likewise, the Bible is not a book with scientific answers. The writers were not scientists, the culture did not employ the scientific method, and to try and turn the Bible into a science book is a great disservice not only to science but particularly to the Bible!

Along these lines, a common mistake is asking the wrong questions of the Bible. To shamelessly steal an example that was pointed out to me by a very good friend and well respected theologian, take Romans 3:23, “For all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” What is Paul saying? Is he saying that Jesus, since he was a man, has sinned? Is Paul saying that since Jesus hasn’t sinned, he’s not a man? Christian teaching holds that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. If we turn to this passage to learn something about Christ, the answer we get back is flawed. We’ve missed the point before we even ask our first question. The passage is not talking about Jesus Christ. In the same way, if we approach the Bible seeking answers to questions that the Bible is not addressing (like science), the understanding that we walk away with is deeply flawed.

Why do I believe in God?

Getting back to pure faith (as opposed to talking so much about science), my faith comes from a very pragmatic approach. It works for me. More than anything else, even with plenty of struggles with faith, I believe in evil and it’s power to destroy. Evil is what makes a guy throw away his wife and kids for a moment of pleasure with a women he barely knows. Evil is what keeps a person picking up the bottle or the needle, no matter how desperately they really wish to quit. Evil is one man, in just four or five years, killing over six million people. Evil is the destruction of the environment around us, as we constantly look only at ourselves and our never ending quest to attain “more.” I identify strongly with Paul in Romans 7:21-25.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And I choose to believe that an answer for evil exists. My life is not hopeless. The way I treat others and the world in which I live matters.

Going back to yesterday’s topic, I brought up the notion that many Christians are angered that science limits itself to natural explanations for observable phenomena, and I promised to address this issue. Well, in order to build the suspense a little longer, I’m going to hold off and discuss this in a couple of days. I’m going to post about evolution tomorrow, and something called intelligent design the day after that, which if you’re not familiar, is a view that some religious people offer as an alternative to the theory of evolution. I think that discussing these two views will present an excellent real life example of why seeking natural explanations in science is a good thing, and compatible with faith.